Read and comment on this message from the Russia Far East listserv that says that the 90 days clause applies to the Peace Corps in Russia and the PC Office must be completely closed down by March 30, 2003.

As such, on March 15th, the Peace Corps will send notice to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education that all Peace Corps Volunteers will be out of Russia. In sum, all Volunteers must leave Russia by the 15th of February as no visa extensions will be granted.

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Here it is straight from the PC Office here in Vladivostok:

The 90 days clause applies and the PC Office must be completely closed down by March 30, 2003. This means that all volunteers must leave sooner to close out the office. So PC RFE has scheduled our COS Conference for February 8-11, 2003 here in Vlad.

As such, on March 15th, the Peace Corps will send notice to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education that all Peace Corps Volunteers will be out of Russia. In sum, we must leave Russia by the 15th of February as no visa extensions will be granted.

So there it is in a nutshell. We have our answer. I think I speak for many of us here in the Far East (and perhaps in the Western Russia Program as well?) when I say we are quite relieved. No emergency 24 hour evacuations, but a month to plan our departures. All in all, I for one, am at peace with it all.

I want to thank everyone for all their support through this mess. Again, I am simply relieved that we have our answer and can begin to arrange our lives.

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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Russia

One billion people have no access to clean water and two billion are without sanitation services. Countless lives around the world are also undermined by lack of quality health care, education and other public services.

· The World Bank wants citizens to behave more like consumers, and believes that if they do so their public services will improve. Critics believe more participatory democracy would offer better alternatives.

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These issues are currently being debated on the World Bank's website in an electronic discussion independently moderated by Public World, a London-based organisation with many years experience of criticising World Bank public services policy and developing innovative alternatives.

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What do you think about privatisation? What do you think about charging people more for their health care? What can be done to get more teachers into rural areas?

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